Cal linebackers anchor new-look defense

Linebacker Raymond Davison III chases down the ball carrier during a Cal Bears football practice and scrimmage in Memorial Stadium at UC Berkeley on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017.

Linebacker Raymond Davison III chases down the ball carrier during a Cal Bears football practice and scrimmage in Memorial Stadium at UC Berkeley on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

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Cal's Hardy Nickerson, 47 and Luke Rubenzer, 17 celebrate the interception return for a touchdown by Devante Downs, 1 in the first quarter, as the University of California Golden Bears take on the Grambling State Tigers at Memorial Stadium on Sat. September 5, 2015, in Berkeley, Calif. less

Cal's Hardy Nickerson, 47 and Luke Rubenzer, 17 celebrate the interception return for a touchdown by Devante Downs, 1 in the first quarter, as the University of California Golden Bears take on the Grambling ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

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Cal Bears inside linebacker Raymond Davison III (31) waits for a drill to begin during Cal football practice at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Monday, July 31, 2017.

Cal Bears inside linebacker Raymond Davison III (31) waits for a drill to begin during Cal football practice at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Monday, July 31, 2017.

“I’m hoping that we’ll play with fanatical energy, tackle the ball very, very well, be resilient to bad things that happen and ultimately, fight to the end, so that we can find a way to win,” defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said.

If Cal is to have a chance against North Carolina in its opener on Saturday, it’ll likely be because Davison and Downs have great games in the middle of the Bears’ defense. The two always put up numbers, but they have even more responsibility this season.

The most important thing in Cal’s new 3-4 scheme is identifying the opposing offense’s alignment and communicating the corresponding assignments to the defense. Those calls usually go through Davison and Downs.

“We had a Navy SEAL come in and talk to us during training camp, and he told us about trying to make your teammates look good,” Davison said. “A lot of that falls on the inside linebackers, because we’ve got to put our teammates in the right positions to succeed.”

That responsibility will be especially difficult Saturday, because Cal doesn’t know which quarterback it’ll be facing. North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora said he could play as many as four quarterbacks, all of whom are capable in the run-pass option game.

The Tar Heels also generally run a no-huddle offense at a hurried pace that aims to snap the ball every 17 seconds and gives the opposing defense less time to make adjustments. Fedora said he’s hoping his offense’s pace will not slow down despite the quarterback rotation.

“I’m hoping it doesn’t,” Fedora said. “The standard isn’t changing. The expectation level is still the same. We expect to play with a certain fanatical tempo, and we’re pushing them hard every day to get there.”

Cal is pushing hard to prepare for it, too. Almost every day of practice, the Bears run a “fastball” period, during which the offense attempts to run 14 plays in five minutes.

It’s up to Davison and Downs to identify the offense’s personnel and set their defensive assignments at a frenzied speed. They can do it without much stress these days, a far cry from spring drills, when they were sometimes paralyzed in thought.

“They’ve come a long way,” head coach Justin Wilcox said. “They’re guys who have played a lot. It’s nice to see veteran guys still continue to work, grow and get better. I think they’re eager to get out and play, and I’m excited about where those guys are going.”

Davison, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior, is a natural inside linebacker — showing solid skills in run defense and pass coverage. He’s had 111 tackles, four pass breakups and returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown during his career.

Downs, a 6-3, 245-pound senior, is making the move from outside linebacker to showcase his quick-twitch athleticism, blitzing ability and speed to cover slot receivers. He has 147 career tackles, including nine tackles for a loss and five sacks.

“The expectation here is that we’re going to be good defense,” Davison said. “We’re not waiting for the offense to put up 45 points and trying to hold on.

“We’re trying to pitch shutouts, get takeaways and score points of our own.”